Various factors, such as restrictive legislation and the need to make the best possible use of space in retail outlets, has given rise to a need for a dispenser which can not only store a number of packets but can also display the front face of at least one packet and dispense packets one at a time to customers.
The present invention seeks to provide such a dispenser which will store packets and dispense them one at a time. It also seeks to provide, as a subsidiary feature, a dispenser in which at least one packet's front face is displayed for advertising purposes.
The present invention further seeks to provide means for producing data relating to the dispensing of cigarette packets as well as means to prevent tampering and/or theft.